Atlas rocket brought into space probe that after 10 months will come to Mars. The device MAVEN is to find out where to blow away the planet’s atmosphere and why disappears from the surface of the water.
At 22.28 MSK from the spaceport at Cape Canaveral Atlas-V rocket sent a 10-month journey to Mars science mission MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN – «The evolution of the atmosphere and the volatiles on Mars»).
«It is important not to bring here some Martian scum»
creator of the only Russian instrument on board the Mars rover Curiosity talks about the Martian soil and the prospects of finding … ?
This scientific mission, which was approved by the dispatch in 2008, is designed to answer one of the major concerns of today researchers Mars: Was the atmosphere in the distant past, this dry, cold planet more thick and dense, whether it contains water, as spoken by modern discoveries on the surface, and if so, why the Martian climate has changed so dramatically.
«After 10 years of work on the project, I can not even say how excited I am to see it finished and ready for the start,” – said on the eve of Bruce Yakoski, the head of the mission.
Flying in the upper atmosphere, the probe MAVEN will have to figure out how Mars lost its way and already flimsy atmosphere, and along with it – the excess water from the surface.
Scientists believe that the sun plays a key role in ensuring that the fastest gas molecules ever leave the atmosphere of Mars is of the topmost of its layers. Since 1964, NASA has launched several orbiter and landers, who tried to detect the presence of traces of water. MAVEN is the first time it will study the upper atmosphere.
Martian pyramid poured water
Scientists have published data on the results of the first one hundred days of stay Curiosity rover on the planet. The waters there were fewer than expected, but … ?
probe that will come to a planet only in September 2014, will be released on an elliptical orbit around Mars with Periapsis apocenter 160 km and about 6 thousand miles.
In addition, during the work probe will dive to five times the height of 120 km, to analyze the composition of the atmosphere.
Scientific Equipment probe includes several instruments that will analyze the chemical composition and physical conditions in the upper atmosphere and near low Mars space.
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detectors of charged solar particles, the solar wind analyzer, the analyzer electron solar wind ion detector and a magnetometer. A device NGIMS, developed by the Goddard Space Center, will analyze the chemical and isotopic composition of molecules and ions.
NASA experts were hoping that the launch will take place: on the weather forecast, the probability of favorable weather conditions the day before was only 60%.
Borat could revive the ancient Mars
meteorite from Mars, has flown to Antarctica, brought to Earth boron, not previously encountered in the bodies beyond Earth. His connection to play … ?
As stated recently launch NASA director Charles Bolden, arriving at Mars probe MAVEN will have to act as a relay to Earth data from the Mars rovers Curiosity and Opportunity. “If we do not run the MAVEN, we will miss another two-year window during which the current communication satellites is likely to stop working, overage” – said Bolden, referring to the orbiters Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey.
Unit length is 11 meters, weight – 903 pounds, solar power – 1100 watts.
Run the machine in time managed, despite recent disruptions in funding NASA and forced prolonged absenteeism of many employees of the U.S. space agency.
«The most important start, to be honest, is not in the program, and in humans. Their attitude to the fact that they work for the government, is that they are very proud of their work. They know that they perform the exclusive task and feel that the Congress at the time did not take it with respect. Now we spend a lot of time to somehow raise our morale, “- said Bolden.
Bolden, a former astronaut who commanded a 1992 space shuttle mission STS-92, he took part in the study of Earth’s atmosphere during that flight. “I think I’ve got experts in the atmosphere of Mars questions that we hope to learn in the upper atmosphere”, – joked Boden.
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